Apparatus and method for presenting media content

ABSTRACT

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a media processor including a controller to receive a broadcast of media content comprising three-dimensional image content for presentation on a display device operably coupled with the media processor, adjust the broadcast of the media content to comprise two-dimensional image content, and present the media content on a display device, wherein the controller adjusts the media content to comprise the two-dimensional image content during presentation of the broadcast of the media content on the display device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to media content communicationand more specifically to an apparatus and method for presenting mediacontent.

BACKGROUND

Media consumption has become a multibillion dollar industry thatcontinues to grow rapidly. High resolution displays such as highdefinition television and high resolution computer monitors can nowpresent two-dimensional movies and games with three-dimensionalperspective with clarity never seen before. Collectively, improvementsin viewing, audio, and communication technologies are causing rapiddemand for consumption of all types of media content.

However, viewers have differing preferences as to types of media contentand often desire the flexibility of choice among the various mediatypes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication system thatprovides media services;

FIG. 2 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a portal interacting withthe communication system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication deviceutilized in the communication system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a presentation device andmedia processor for presenting media content;

FIG. 5 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a viewing apparatus;

FIG. 6 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a presentation device witha polarized display;

FIG. 7 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method operating inportions of the devices and systems of FIGS. 1-6;

FIG. 8 depicts an illustrative timing diagram for adjusting mediacontent between three-dimensional image content and two-dimensionalimage content; and

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the form of acomputer system within which a set of instructions, when executed, maycause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologiesdiscussed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One embodiment of the present disclosure can entail a media processorcomprising a controller to receive a broadcast of media contentcomprising three-dimensional image content for presentation on a displaydevice operably coupled with the media processor, adjust the broadcastof the media content to comprise two-dimensional image content, andpresent the media content on a display device, wherein the controlleradjusts the media content to comprise the two-dimensional image contentduring presentation of the broadcast of the media content on the displaydevice, wherein the three-dimensional image content comprises left andright image pairs, and wherein the controller adjusts the media contentto comprise the two-dimensional image content by replacing one of theleft or right image pairs with the other of the left or right imagepairs.

One embodiment of the present disclosure can entail a computer-readablestorage medium operating in one of a gaming console, a set top box or atelevision, comprising computer instructions to receive a broadcast ofmedia content comprising three-dimensional image content forpresentation on a display device operably coupled with one of the gamingconsole, the set top box or the television, and adjust the broadcast ofthe media content to comprise two-dimensional image content duringpresentation of the broadcast of the media content on the displaydevice, wherein the three-dimensional image content comprises left andright image pairs, and comprising computer instructions to adjust themedia content to comprise the two-dimensional image content by replacingone of the left or right image pairs with the other of the left or rightimage pairs.

One embodiment of the present disclosure can entail a method comprisingreceiving media content at a media processor, the media contentcomprising three-dimensional image content for presentation on a displaydevice operably coupled to the media processor, adjusting in real timethe received media content to comprise two-dimensional image content,and presenting the media content on the display device.

FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a first communicationsystem 100 for delivering media content. The communication system 100can represent an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) broadcast mediasystem although other media broadcast systems are contemplated by thepresent disclosures. The IPTV media system can include a super head-endoffice (SHO) 110 with at least one super headend office server (SHS) 111which receives media content from satellite and/or terrestrialcommunication systems. In the present context, media content canrepresent audio content, moving image content such as videos, stillimage content, or combinations thereof. The SHS server 111 can forwardpackets associated with the media content to video head-end servers(VHS) 114 via a network of video head-end offices (VHO) 112 according toa common multicast communication protocol.

The VHS 114 can distribute multimedia broadcast programs via an accessnetwork 118 to commercial and/or residential buildings 102 housing agateway 104 (such as a residential or commercial gateway). The accessnetwork 118 can represent a group of digital subscriber line accessmultiplexers (DSLAMs) located in a central office or a service areainterface that provide broadband services over optical links or coppertwisted pairs 119 to buildings 102. The gateway 104 can use commoncommunication technology to distribute broadcast signals to mediaprocessors 106 such as Set-Top Boxes (STBs) or gaming consoles (e.g.,PS3, Xbox or Wii) which in turn present broadcast channels to mediadevices 108 such as computers, television sets, managed in someinstances by a media controller 107 (such as an infrared or RF remotecontrol, gaming controller, etc.).

The gateway 104, the media processors 106, and media devices 108 canutilize tethered interface technologies (such as coaxial, phone line, orpowerline wiring) or can operate over a common wireless access protocolsuch as Wireless Fidelity (WiFi). With these interfaces, unicastcommunications can be invoked between the media processors 106 andsubsystems of the IPTV media system for services such as video-on-demand(VoD), browsing an electronic programming guide (EPG), or otherinfrastructure services.

Some of the network elements of the IPTV media system can be coupled toone or more computing devices 130 a portion of which can operate as aweb server for providing portal services over an Internet ServiceProvider (ISP) network 132 to wireline media devices 108 or wirelesscommunication devices 116 (e.g., cellular phone, laptop computer, etc.)by way of a wireless access base station 117 operating according tocommon wireless access protocols such as WiFi, or cellular communicationtechnologies (such as GSM, CDMA, UMTS, WiMAX, Software Defined Radio orSDR, and so on).

A satellite broadcast television system can be used in place of the IPTVmedia system. In this embodiment, signals transmitted by a satellite 115carrying media content can be intercepted by a common satellite dishreceiver 131 coupled to the building 102. Modulated signals interceptedby the satellite dish receiver 131 can be transferred to the mediaprocessors 106 for decoding and distributing broadcast channels to themedia devices 108. The media processors 106 can be equipped with abroadband port to the IP network 132 to enable services such as VoD andEPG described above.

In yet another embodiment, an analog or digital broadcast distributionsystem such as cable TV system 133 can be used in place of the IPTVmedia system described above. In this embodiment the cable TV system 133can provide Internet, telephony, and interactive media services.

It is contemplated that the present disclosure can apply to any presentor next generation over-the-air and/or landline media content servicessystem. In one embodiment, an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) networkarchitecture can be utilized to facilitate the combined services ofcircuit-switched and packet-switched systems in delivering the mediacontent to one or more viewers.

A converter 175 can be used for converting or otherwise adjustingbetween three-dimensional image content and two-dimensional imagecontent. The image content can be in various forms, including stillimages, moving images and video games. The converter 175 can be aseparate device that is configured for wired and/or wirelesscommunication with media presentation devices and/or media processors,including set top boxes, televisions and so forth. The converter 175 canalso be incorporated into the media presentation devices and/or mediaprocessors, including the set top boxes and televisions. In oneembodiment, the converter 175 can receive a broadcast ofthree-dimensional image content and adjust it into two-dimensional imagecontent without the need to change the channel or to interrupt thebroadcast. In another embodiment, the adjustment of the broadcastbetween the three-dimensional image content and the two-dimensionalimage content can be performed in real-time by the converter 175. Thethree-dimensional image content can be based upon variousthree-dimensional imaging techniques, including polarization,anaglyphics, active shuttering (such as alternate frame sequencing),autostereoscopy, and so forth.

FIG. 2 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a portal 202 which canoperate from the computing devices 130 described earlier ofcommunication 100 illustrated in FIG. 1. The portal 202 can be used formanaging services of communication system 100. The portal 202 can beaccessed by a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) with a common Internetbrowser using an Internet-capable communication device such as thoseillustrated FIG. 1. The portal 202 can be configured, for example, toaccess a media processor 106 and services managed thereby such as aDigital Video Recorder (DVR), a VoD catalog, an EPG, video gamingprofile, a personal catalog (such as personal videos, pictures, audiorecordings, etc.) stored in the media processor, provisioning IMSservices described earlier, provisioning Internet services, provisioningcellular phone services, and so on.

FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a communication device 300.Communication device 300 can serve in whole or in part as anillustrative embodiment of the communication devices of FIG. 1 and othercommunications described herein. The communication device 300 cancomprise a wireline and/or wireless transceiver 302 (herein transceiver302), a user interface (UI) 304, a power supply 314, a location detector316, and a controller 306 for managing operations thereof. Thetransceiver 302 can support short-range or long-range wireless accesstechnologies such as infrared, Bluetooth, WiFi, Digital EnhancedCordless Telecommunications (DECT), or cellular communicationtechnologies, just to mention a few. Cellular technologies can include,for example, CDMA-1X, UMTS/HSDPA, GSM/GPRS, TDMA/EDGE, EV/DO, WiMAX,SDR, and next generation cellular wireless communication technologies asthey arise. The transceiver 302 can also be adapted to supportcircuit-switched wireline access technologies (such as PSTN),packet-switched wireline access technologies (such as TCPIP, VoIP,etc.), and combinations thereof.

The UI 304 can include a depressible or touch-sensitive keypad 308 witha navigation mechanism such as a roller ball, joystick, mouse, ornavigation disk for manipulating operations of the communication device300. The keypad 308 can be an integral part of a housing assembly of thecommunication device 300 or an independent device operably coupledthereto by a tethered wireline interface (such as a USB cable) or awireless interface supporting for example Bluetooth. The keypad 308 canrepresent a numeric dialing keypad commonly used by phones, and/or aQwerty keypad with alphanumeric keys. The UI 304 can further include adisplay 310 such as monochrome or color LCD (Liquid Crystal Display),OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) or other suitable display technologyfor conveying images to an end user of the communication device 300. Inan embodiment where the display 310 is touch-sensitive, a portion or allof the keypad 308 can be presented by way of the display.

The UI 304 can also include an audio system 312 that utilizes commonaudio technology for conveying low volume audio (such as audio heardonly in the proximity of a human ear) and high volume audio for handsfree operation. The audio system 312 can further include a microphonefor receiving audible signals of an end user. The audio system 312 canalso be used for voice recognition applications. The UI 304 can furtherinclude an image sensor 313 such as a charged coupled device (CCD)camera for capturing still or moving images.

The power supply 314 can utilize common power management technologiessuch as replaceable and rechargeable batteries, supply regulationtechnologies, and charging system technologies for supplying energy tothe components of the communication device 300 to facilitate long-rangeor short-range portable applications. The location detector 316 canutilize common location technology such as a global positioning system(GPS) receiver for identifying a location of the communication device300 based on signals generated by a constellation of GPS satellites,thereby facilitating common location services such as navigation.

The communication device 300 can use the transceiver 302 to alsodetermine a proximity to a cellular, WiFi or Bluetooth access point bycommon power sensing techniques such as utilizing a received signalstrength indicator (RSSI) and/or a signal time of arrival (TOA) or timeof flight (TOF). The controller 406 can utilize computing technologiessuch as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and/or avideo processor with associated storage memory such a Flash, ROM, RAM,SRAM, DRAM or other storage technologies.

The communication device 300 can be adapted to perform the functions ofthe media processor 106, the media devices 108, or the portablecommunication devices 116 of FIG. 1, as well as IMS CDs and PSTN CDs. Itwill be appreciated that the communication device 300 can also representother common devices that can operate in communication system 100 ofFIG. 1 such as a gaming console and a media player.

FIG. 4 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a presentation device 402and media processor 106 for presenting media content. In the presentillustration, the presentation device 402 is depicted as a televisionset. It will be appreciated that the presentation device 402alternatively can represent a portable communication device such as acellular phone, a PDA, a computer, or other computing device with theability to display media content. The media processor 106 can be an STBsuch as illustrated in FIG. 1, or some other computing device such as acellular phone, computer, gaming console, or other device that canprocess and direct the presentation device 402 to emit images associatedwith media content. It is further noted that the media processor 106 andthe presentation device 402 can be an integral unit. For example, acomputer or cellular phone having computing and display resourcescollectively can represent the combination of a presentation device 402and media processor 106.

The media processor 106 can be adapted to communicate with accessoriessuch as the viewing apparatus 502 of FIG. 5 by way of a wired orwireless interface. The communication can be one-way and/or two-waycommunication, such as providing the viewing apparatus 502 with atransceiver. A wired interface can represent a tethered connection fromthe viewing apparatus to an electro-mechanical port of the mediaprocessor (e.g., USB or proprietary interface). A wireless interface canrepresent a radio frequency (RF) interface such as Bluetooth, WiFi,Zigbee or other wireless standard. The wireless interface can alsorepresent an infrared communication interface. Any standard orproprietary wireless interface between the media processor 106 and theviewing apparatus 502 is contemplated by the presented disclosure.

The viewing apparatus 502 can represent an apparatus for viewingtwo-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) stereoscopic images whichcan be still or moving images. The viewing apparatus 502 can be anactive shutter viewing apparatus. In this embodiment, each lens has aliquid crystal layer which can be darkened or made to be transparent bythe application of one or more bias voltages. Each lens 504, 506 can beindependently controlled. Accordingly, the darkening of the lenses canalternate, or can be controlled to operate simultaneously.

Each viewing apparatus 502 can include all or portions of the componentsof the communication device 300 illustrated in FIG. 3. For example, theviewing apparatus 502 can utilize the receiver portion of thetransceiver 302 in the form of an infrared receiver depicted by thewindow 508. Alternatively, the viewing apparatus 502 can function as atwo-way communication device, in which case a full infrared transceivercould be utilize to exchange signals between the media processor 106 andthe viewing apparatus 502.

The viewing apparatus 502 can utilize a controller 306 to controloperations thereof, and a portable power supply (not shown). The viewingapparatus 502 can have portions of the UI 304 of FIG. 3. For example,the viewing apparatus 502 can have a multi-purpose button 512 which canfunction as a power on/off button and as a channel selection button. Apower on/off feature can be implemented by a long-duration depression ofbutton 512 which can toggle from an on state to an off state andvice-versa. Fast depressions of button 512 can be used for channelnavigation. Alternatively, two buttons can be added to the viewingapparatus 502 for up/down channel selection, which operate independentof the on/off power button 512. In another embodiment, a thumbwheel canbe used for scrolling between channels.

The viewing apparatus 502 can also include an audio system 312 with oneor more speakers in the extensions of the housing assembly such as shownby references 516, 520 to produce localized audio 518, 520 near a user'sears. Different portions of the housing assembly can be used to producemono, stereo, or surround sound effects. Ear cups (not shown) such asthose used in headphones can be used by the viewing apparatus 502 (as anaccessory or integral component) for a more direct and low-noise audiopresentation technique. The volume of sound presented by the speakers514, 516 can be controlled by a thumbwheel 510 (or up/down buttons—notshown).

It would be evident from the above descriptions that many embodiments ofthe viewing apparatus 502 are possible, all of which are contemplated bythe present disclosure.

FIG. 6 depicts an illustrative embodiment of the presentation device 402of FIG. 4 with a polarized display. A display can be polarized withwell-known polarization filter technology so that alternative horizontalpixel rows can be made to have differing polarizations. For instance,odd horizontal pixels 602 can be polarized for viewing with onepolarization filter, while even horizontal pixels 604 can be polarizedfor viewing with an alternative polarization filter. The viewingapparatus 502 previously described can be adapted to have one lenspolarized for odd pixel rows, while the other lens is polarized forviewing even pixel rows. With polarized lenses, the viewing apparatus502 can present a user a 3D stereoscopic image.

FIG. 7 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method 700 operating inportions of the devices and systems described herein and/or illustratedin FIGS. 1-6. Method 700 can begin with step 702 in which media contentin 3D format is received by a user's media processor 106, which caninclude an STB and a television having the media processor incorporatedtherein. 3D format media content can comprise images having left andright pairings so that a user views the content in three-dimensions. Theparticular methodology employed to provide or render thethree-dimensional image content can vary and can include active shutter(alternate frame sequencing), polarization and other techniques. The 3Dmedia content can be received by the media processor from varioussources, such as via a broadcast over an IPTV network and so forth.

In step 704, a viewing apparatus (such as active shutter glasses orpassive polarization glasses) can be detected. The detection can beperformed by the media processor, although other devices can also beutilized for this purpose as well. The detection can be based upon anumber of thresholds, including recognizing that a viewer is wearing theviewing apparatus; detecting that the viewing apparatus is in a line ofsight with a display device upon which the media content is or will bedisplayed; and determining that the viewing apparatus is within apre-determined distance of the display device. The techniques andcomponents utilized for detecting the viewing apparatus can vary. Forexample, the media processor can scan for the presence of the viewingapparatus. This can include two-way communication between the mediaprocessor and the viewing apparatus. In one embodiment, the viewingapparatus can emit a signal which is detected by the media processor.Presence and/or distance can be determined based on the signal,including utilizing signal strength. Location techniques can also beused for determining a position of the viewing apparatus, includingtriangulation and so forth.

In another embodiment, image recognition can be utilized to determine ifa viewer is wearing the viewing apparatus. For instance, an image of theviewing area can be captured such as through a camera operably coupledto or incorporated in the media processor) and one or more viewers canbe detected by applying image recognition techniques to the image. Oncethe viewers are detected, additional image recognition can be applied tothe face of the viewers to determine whether the viewers are wearing theviewing glasses. In yet another embodiment, line of sight determinationcan be utilized to detect the presence of the viewing apparatus. Asignal can be transmitted between the media processor and the viewingapparatus to determine if the two components have an unobscured line ofsight. Signal strength and/or signal type, including infrared, can beutilized in order to determine if an unobscured line of sight exists forthe viewing apparatus.

If the viewing apparatus and/or a viewing apparatus for each of theviewers is detected in step 706 then method 700 can perform step 708 todetect a request for 2D image content. If on the other hand the viewingapparatus is not detected and/or one or more viewers is determined notto have the viewing apparatus then method 700 can perform step 712 tocommence the conversion of the 3D image content to 2D image content.

In step 708, the media processor can determine whether a user hasrequested the conversion to 2D image content. In one embodiment, theremote controller can have a dedicated button which when pressedprovides the media controller with the request for the conversion. Inanother embodiment, the media controller can present an option forconversion to 2D image content, such as upon detection that a viewingapparatus is not present. For example, the media processor can performimage recognition to determine the number of viewers in the viewing areaand then can detect if any of the viewers are not wearing or otherwisedo not have a viewing apparatus. The detection of one or more of theviewers being without a viewing apparatus can be performed in a numberof different ways, including additional image recognition of the facesof the viewers; presence detection performed by the media processor suchas through detecting signals admitted by each of the viewing apparatus;and/or other techniques, including knowledge of the number of viewingapparatuses associated with the media processor (such as a mediaprocessor being configured with information that the user has purchasedfour sets of 3D glasses). In one embodiment, if it is determined that atleast one of the viewers does not have the 3D glasses, then the mediaprocessor can present an option to convert the media content to 2D imagecontent. The exemplary embodiments contemplate other ways in which theoption for conversion is presented, such as upon the broadcast beingfirst received by the media processor. The particular GUI utilized forpresenting the option can vary, including a text message displayedacross a portion of the display device that asks if the viewer desiresto convert the media content. The text message can be configured in anumber of different ways, such as type of language, semi-transparent andso forth. In one embodiment. The text message can be based on userpreferences, such as from a user profile or user pre-selections.

If a 2D request is not detected in step 710 then method 700 can performstep 716 of presenting the media content in its current format (such as3D image content). If on the other hand a 2D request is detected thenmethod 700 can perform step 712 to commence the conversion of the 3Dimage content to 2D image content.

In step 712, the media processor can convert the broadcast 3D imagecontent that it has received, by removing either the left image pairingsor the right image pairing from the media content. In one embodiment asshown in FIG. 8 in an alternate frame sequencing 3D format 800 which canbe viewed using active shutter glasses such as LCD shutter glasses, thebroadcast media content can be presentable with alternating frames 820of left and right pairs for each image in time slots T₁ through T_(n),such as a left and right first image 1 _(L) and 1 _(R), followed by aleft and right second image 2 _(L) and 2 _(R) and so on, where the leftand right pairs are of the same image but from different angles in orderto render the image in 3D. Alternate frame sequencing techniques can beutilized where the media content is to be presented in 3D format, suchas synchronizing each of the lenses in the active shutter glasses to beopening and closing with the presentation of the left and right imagepairs. One of the image pairs is then removed from the media content,which in this example is the right image pairs as shown by frames 830,although the left image pairs could have been removed instead.

In step 714, the blank frame is filled with the image pair which was notremoved, which in this example is the left pair, resulting in frames 840with pairs of the same images being presented in sequence. The mediaprocessor can fill the blank frames with a duplicate of the pair whichwas not removed, although the exemplary embodiment contemplates fillingthe frame with an image that is less than an exact copy, such as animage that may not include all of the background content. While thisexample of FIG. 8 is based on alternate frame sequencing 3D, method 800can also be applied to other 3D formats, including polarization, whereone of the left or right image pairs is replaced by the other of theleft or right image pairs in the alternating horizontal (or vertical)rows.

In step 716, the media processor can then present the converted mediacontent with the 2D images on a display device.

Upon reviewing the aforementioned embodiments, it would be evident to anartisan with ordinary skill in the art that said embodiments can bemodified, reduced, or enhanced without departing from the scope andspirit of the claims described below. The embodiments described abovecan be adapted to operate with any device capable of performing in wholeor in part the steps described for method 700. For example, a cellularphone can be adapted to convert a broadcast of 3D image content to 2Dimage content.

In one embodiment, 2D and 3D sources can be mapped and indexed to eachother so that the source can be selectively changed, such as in responseto a viewers request or a detection of a lack of 3D glasses, withoutinterruption of the presentation of the media content. In anotherembodiment, the media content can be video games that are beingtransmitted to a gaming console in 3D format, such as from a backendserver over the Internet. The gaming console can then selectivelyconvert the 3D images to 2D images for presentation on a display device,such as a television or a monitor.

In one embodiment, the media processor can have the ability to receivethe various frames that make up the 3D image content and can have theability to remove and duplicate selective frames, but can be unable togenerate left and right pairs of the images.

Other suitable modifications can be applied to the present disclosurewithout departing from the scope of the claims below. Accordingly, thereader is directed to the claims section for a fuller understanding ofthe breadth and scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 depicts an exemplary diagrammatic representation of a machine inthe form of a computer system 900 within which a set of instructions,when executed, may cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethodologies discussed above. In some embodiments, the machine operatesas a standalone device. In some embodiments, the machine may beconnected (e.g., using a network) to other machines. In a networkeddeployment, the machine may operate in the capacity of a server or aclient user machine in server-client user network environment, or as apeer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment.

The machine may comprise a server computer, a client user computer, apersonal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a laptop computer, a desktopcomputer, a control system, a network router, switch or bridge, or anymachine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential orotherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. It will beunderstood that a device of the present disclosure includes broadly anyelectronic device that provides voice, video or data communication.Further, while a single machine is illustrated, the term “machine” shallalso be taken to include any collection of machines that individually orjointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform anyone or more of the methodologies discussed herein.

The computer system 900 may include a processor 902 (e.g., a centralprocessing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU, or both), a mainmemory 904 and a static memory 906, which communicate with each othervia a bus 908. The computer system 900 may further include a videodisplay unit 910 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a flat panel, asolid state display, or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer system900 may include an input device 912 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor controldevice 914 (e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit 916, a signal generationdevice 918 (e.g., a speaker or remote control) and a network interfacedevice 920.

The disk drive unit 916 may include a machine-readable medium 922 onwhich is stored one or more sets of instructions (e.g., software 924)embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions describedherein, including those methods illustrated above. The instructions 924may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the mainmemory 904, the static memory 906, and/or within the processor 902during execution thereof by the computer system 900. The main memory 904and the processor 902 also may constitute machine-readable media.

Dedicated hardware implementations including, but not limited to,application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays andother hardware devices can likewise be constructed to implement themethods described herein. Applications that may include the apparatusand systems of various embodiments broadly include a variety ofelectronic and computer systems. Some embodiments implement functions intwo or more specific interconnected hardware modules or devices withrelated control and data signals communicated between and through themodules, or as portions of an application-specific integrated circuit.Thus, the example system is applicable to software, firmware, andhardware implementations.

In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, themethods described herein are intended for operation as software programsrunning on a computer processor. Furthermore, software implementationscan include, but not limited to, distributed processing orcomponent/object distributed processing, parallel processing, or virtualmachine processing can also be constructed to implement the methodsdescribed herein.

The present disclosure contemplates a machine readable medium containinginstructions 924, or that which receives and executes instructions 924from a propagated signal so that a device connected to a networkenvironment 926 can send or receive voice, video or data, and tocommunicate over the network 926 using the instructions 924. Theinstructions 924 may further be transmitted or received over a network926 via the network interface device 920.

While the machine-readable medium 922 is shown in an example embodimentto be a single medium, the term “machine-readable medium” should betaken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralizedor distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) thatstore the one or more sets of instructions. The term “machine-readablemedium” shall also be taken to include any medium that is capable ofstoring, encoding or carrying a set of instructions for execution by themachine and that cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethodologies of the present disclosure.

The term “machine-readable medium” shall accordingly be taken toinclude, but not be limited to: solid-state memories such as a memorycard or other package that houses one or more read-only (non-volatile)memories, random access memories, or other re-writable (volatile)memories; magneto-optical or optical medium such as a disk or tape;and/or a digital file attachment to e-mail or other self-containedinformation archive or set of archives is considered a distributionmedium equivalent to a tangible storage medium. Accordingly, thedisclosure is considered to include any one or more of amachine-readable medium or a distribution medium, as listed herein andincluding art-recognized equivalents and successor media, in which thesoftware implementations herein are stored.

Although the present specification describes components and functionsimplemented in the embodiments with reference to particular standardsand protocols, the disclosure is not limited to such standards andprotocols. Each of the standards for Internet and other packet switchednetwork transmission (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP/IP, HTML, HTTP) representexamples of the state of the art. Such standards are periodicallysuperseded by faster or more efficient equivalents having essentiallythe same functions. Accordingly, replacement standards and protocolshaving the same functions are considered equivalents.

The illustrations of embodiments described herein are intended toprovide a general understanding of the structure of various embodiments,and they are not intended to serve as a complete description of all theelements and features of apparatus and systems that might make use ofthe structures described herein. Many other embodiments will be apparentto those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. Otherembodiments may be utilized and derived therefrom, such that structuraland logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing fromthe scope of this disclosure. Figures are also merely representationaland may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportions thereof may beexaggerated, while others may be minimized. Accordingly, thespecification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative ratherthan a restrictive sense.

Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred toherein, individually and/or collectively, by the term “invention” merelyfor convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope ofthis application to any single invention or inventive concept if morethan one is in fact disclosed. Thus, although specific embodiments havebeen illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that anyarrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substitutedfor the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to coverany and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments.Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments notspecifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in theart upon reviewing the above description.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R.§1.72(b), requiring an abstract that will allow the reader to quicklyascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted withthe understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit thescope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing DetailedDescription, it can be seen that various features are grouped togetherin a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure.This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting anintention that the claimed embodiments require more features than areexpressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claimsreflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of asingle disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are herebyincorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing onits own as a separately claimed subject matter.

What is claimed is:
 1. A media processor, comprising a controller; and amemory to store executable instructions that, when executed by thecontroller, facilitate performance of operations comprising: receiving abroadcast of media content comprising three-dimensional image contentfor presentation on a display device operably coupled with the mediaprocessor; detecting a presence of a viewing apparatus; determining thatthe viewing apparatus is within a line-of-sight of the display deviceupon which the media content is displayed; determining a presence of aviewer without a viewing apparatus, responsive to determining that theviewing apparatus is within the line-of-sight; detecting a request fortwo-dimensional image content responsive to the presence of the viewingapparatus and the presence of the viewer without the viewing apparatus;adjusting the broadcast of the media content to comprise two-dimensionalimage content based on the detecting the request for two-dimensionalimage content; and presenting the media content on the display device,wherein the controller adjusts the media content to comprise thetwo-dimensional image content during presentation of the broadcast ofthe media content on the display device, wherein the three-dimensionalimage content comprises image pairs, each comprising a left image and aright image, and wherein the controller adjusts the media content tocomprise the two-dimensional image content by replacing one of the leftimage or the right image of the image pairs with another one of the leftimage or the right image of the image pairs.
 2. The media processor ofclaim 1, wherein the detecting the presence of the viewing apparatuscomprises detecting a viewing apparatus that is usable to view thethree-dimensional image content, and wherein the controller adjusts themedia content to comprise the two-dimensional image content when theviewing apparatus is not detected, and wherein the determining of thepresence of the viewer without the viewing apparatus comprisesdetermining a number of viewers present within a viewing area of thedisplay device.
 3. The media processor of claim 2, wherein the detectingthe presence of the viewing apparatus is based on a signal emitted bythe viewing apparatus, the operations further comprising determining,based on the signal, that the viewing apparatus is within apredetermined distance of the display device.
 4. The media processor ofclaim 2, wherein the detecting of the number of viewers presentcomprises applying image recognition to an image of the viewing area,and wherein the determining the presence of the viewing apparatus isresponsive to the detecting of the number of viewers, and comprisesapplying image recognition to a face of a viewer of the display device.5. The media processor of claim 2, wherein the operations furthercomprise engaging in two-way communication with the viewing apparatusto: detect the presence of the viewing apparatus; and synchronize theviewing apparatus with a sequential presentation of left and right imagepairs of the three-dimensional image content.
 6. The media processor ofclaim 1, wherein the display device is incorporated with the mediaprocessor in a television, the operations further comprising determiningthat the line-of-sight is unobstructed, wherein the detecting of thepresence of the viewing apparatus is based on the determining that theline-of-sight is unobstructed.
 7. The media processor of claim 6,wherein the operations further comprise receiving a signal from a remotecontrol, wherein the controller adjusts the media content to comprisethe two-dimensional image content in response to receiving the signal,and wherein the determining that the line-of-sight is unobstructed isbased on one of a signal strength, a signal type, or both.
 8. The mediaprocessor of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional image contentcomprises image pairs comprising left images and right images that areoppositely polarized, and wherein the operations comprise adjusting themedia content to comprise the two-dimensional image content by replacingone of the left images or the right images of the image pairs withanother one of the left images or the right images of the image pairs.9. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium operating in one ofa gaming console, a set top box or a television, comprising executableinstructions that, when executed, facilitate performance of operationscomprising: receiving a broadcast of media content comprisingthree-dimensional image content for presentation on a display deviceoperably coupled with one of the gaming console, the set top box or thetelevision; detecting a presence of a viewing apparatus; determiningthat the viewing apparatus is within a line-of-sight of the displaydevice upon which the media content is displayed; determining a presenceof a viewer without a viewing apparatus, responsive to determining thatthe viewing apparatus is within the line-of-sight; detecting a requestfor two-dimensional image content responsive to the detecting thepresence of the viewing apparatus and the presence of the viewer withoutthe viewing apparatus; and adjusting the broadcast of the media contentbased on the detecting the request for two-dimensional image content tocomprise two-dimensional image content during presentation of thebroadcast of the media content on the display device, wherein thethree-dimensional image content comprises image pairs comprising leftimages and right images, and comprising computer instructions to adjustthe media content to comprise the two-dimensional image content byreplacing one of the left images or the right images of the image pairswith another of the left images or the right images of the image pairs.10. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 9,wherein the media content comprises video game images.
 11. Thenon-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein thethree-dimensional image content is polarized, the operations furthercomprising determining, based on a signal emitted by the viewingapparatus, that the viewing apparatus is within a predetermined distanceof the display device.
 12. The non-transitory machine-readable storagemedium of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise: detecting aviewing apparatus that is usable to view the three-dimensional imagecontent; and adjusting the media content to comprise the two-dimensionalimage content when the viewing apparatus is not detected.
 13. Thenon-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein theoperations further comprise: presenting an option to view the mediacontent as one of two-dimensional images or three-dimensional images;and adjusting the media content to comprise the two-dimensional imagecontent based on a selection of the option.
 14. The non-transitorymachine-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the operationsfurther comprise: detecting a viewing apparatus that is usable to viewthe three-dimensional image content; and presenting the option to viewthe media content as one of the two-dimensional images or thethree-dimensional images when the viewing apparatus is not detected. 15.A method comprising: receiving, by a media processor, media contentcomprising three-dimensional image content for presentation on a displaydevice operably coupled to the media processor; detecting, by the mediaprocessor, a presence of a viewing apparatus; determining, by the mediaprocessor, that the viewing apparatus is within a line-of-sight of thedisplay device upon which the media content is displayed; determining,by the media processor, a presence of a viewer without a viewingapparatus, responsive to determining that the viewing apparatus iswithin the line-of-sight; detecting, by the media processor, a requestfor two-dimensional image content responsive to the presence of theviewer without the viewing apparatus; adjusting, by the media processor,in real time, the media content based on the detecting the request fortwo-dimensional image content to comprise two-dimensional image content;and presenting the media content on the display device.
 16. The methodof claim 15, wherein the three-dimensional image content comprises imagepairs comprising left images and right images, and wherein the adjustingof the media content comprises replacing one of the left images or theright images of the image pairs with another one of the left images orthe right images of the image pairs.
 17. The method of claim 15, whereinthe three-dimensional image content utilizes alternate frame sequencing.18. The method of claim 15, wherein the detecting the presence of theviewing apparatus comprises detecting that the viewing apparatus that isusable to view the three-dimensional image content.
 19. The method ofclaim 15, comprising performing one of: presenting, by the mediaprocessor, an option for viewing the media content as one oftwo-dimensional images or three-dimensional images, adjusting, by themedia processor, a broadcast of the media content to comprise thetwo-dimensional image content when a viewing apparatus usable to viewthe three-dimensional image content is not detected, or a combinationthereof.
 20. The method of claim 15, wherein the media content comprisesvideo game images.